Side 1
01 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy
02 Headband
03 Tears Of A Clown
04 Cherokee Woman
05 25 Or 6 To 4
Side 2
06 Still Waters (Love)
07 Freedom Village
08 My Cherie Amour
09 Ten Bottle Funk
10 Spinning Wheel
John Schroeder’s message:
She moves with the sun in her hair and the warmth of love in her heart.
My days and nights are filled with thoughts of her.
And the inspiration?
This album was inspired by some very good songs.
You Made Me So Very Happy is another quality LP from the John Schroeder Orchestra. Released on the Marble Arch label in 1971 it comprises 30 minutes of top-drawer easy funk and choice loungecore. Key to its strength are a number of key personnel:
Arranger – Alan Tew
Electic guitars – Alan Parker and Mike Morgan
Acoustic guitar – Vic Flick
Organ – Harry Stoneham
There are four Schroeder / Tew compositions. Headband is gritty instrumental soul while Cherokee Woman is primal fare; meaty fuzz-laden boogie-stomp. Freedom Village is a percussive feast with Ten Bottle Funk raising the groovy bar with slick guitar and brief breaks.
Elsewhere there’s soulful rhythms on the title track, My Cherie Amour and the quirky pitched-down end-of-night version of Tears Of A Clown. Astounding stuff. 25 Or 6 To 4 buzzes along like a juggernaut before the pace drops with the chilled-out easy groove of Still Waters (Love). The Stoneham tour-de-force that is Spinning Wheel brings the curtain down in spectacular fashion.
Comments and feedback are welcome.
Preview
Spiral 2 